Support for manikins



Oct. 27, 1953 E; BLOCH 2,656,957

SUPPORT FOR MANIKINS 'Filed Feb. 3, 195] /Snventor IQ/CH 54 0C H (Ittorneg Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORT FOR MANIKIN'S Erich Bloch., New York, N. Y. Application Februaryy- 3, 1951, Serial No, 209,259

Claims. (Cl. 22S- 1720) The present invention relates to devices of the type employed to support display figures, forms and models and particularly manikins.

For supporting such display devices as lay iigures or manikins, it is customary to provide a large base platewith an exposed rod extending to an intermediate portion of the figure. A `figure support device of this type is unsightly in appearance, detracts from the realism and ornamental semblance of the display and makes it difficult to apply a garment properly to the figure.

One object ofthe present invention is to provide a new and improved device for supporting a figure for display purposes, which is effective to uphold stably a display gure in natural attitude, which is unobtrusive when set up in operative position, so that it does not detract from the life-like, natural appearance of the figure,` which can be easily and expeditiously applied to the feet or shoes of the figure without damage thereto, which can be easily and quickly fastened to a floor with minimum ofv dfacement thereof and which is adjustable to fit feet or shoes of varying sizes and shapes.

Another object is to provide a gure supporting device which is comparatively simple and which can be inexpensively manufactured.`

In accordance with certain features of the present invention, the fleure support devices have clamp means by which the devices may be removably, adjustably and firmly attaches to the feet or shoes. respectively, of the display fleure or menikin and are adapted to be stably fastened to a oor to hold. up the figure in display position. These support devices are constructed for attachment to the feet or shoes of the figure without mutilating them and in attacl'lecl` operative position have no connection, `to the, figure except externally through thel feet or shoes. After the support devices have been attached to the pedal extremities of the ligure, it may be set` up in. proper display position by fastening these devices to a floor. In thisV fastened position, the support devices are almost unnoticeable, and consequently do not detract from the naturalness or realism of the figure.

Various other objects of the invention are apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation of a figure or manikin shown supported in display position by a form of support devices embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a form of gure support `device for the right shoe of the manik-in, shown attached to the shoe and in floor fastened position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the figure support device for the left shoe, shown in unattached position;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the figure support device for the right shoe, shown in unattached position and on a scale larger than that shown for the device in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the fig-ure support device shown in Fig. 4

Referring to Figs. l to 5 of the drawings, the figure support device of the present invention is shown in position to hold up and sustain a manikin A in display position on a floor B. Two of such ydevices are showny one for each shoe C of the manikin. Each of these devices comprises a thin iiat -base plate I shown in the form of a T and constituting a stem section II and a crosshead section I2 at one end of said stem section. This base plate III is adapted to be fastened to the floor and for that purpose has holes I3 `for screws I4 as shown. These holes I3 are located at the outer end of the stem section of the base plate I0 and at the outer ends of the cross head section I2 of said base plate.

Shoe clamping means mounted on and secured to the base plate I0 comprise a pair of flat clampingl arms I5 and.v I6 rigid fwith the base plate I0 and terminating at their outer ends in clamping hooks I'I and I8, respectively, for catch engagement with the projecting lip D of the sole on the inner side of the shoe, and a pair of iiat clamping arms I9 and 20 adjustably supported on said base plate and terminating at their outer ends in clamping hook-s 2| and 22, respectively, Vfor engagement with the projecting lip of the sole on the Opposite side of the shoe. The clamping arms I5 and I6 are shown integral with and extending from the opposite sides` of the crosshead plate section I2 in the same plane thereof and diverge outwardly from said sides. The clamping hooks I'I and I8 at the outer ends ol` these clamping arms I5 and I6, respectively, are U-shaped and are formed with substantially rectangular turns except for a slight flare in order to straddle conformably the usual substantially square projecting lip D of the shoe sole.

The adjustable clampingarms I9 and 20 form part ofv a substantially U-shaped slide bracket 24 having a base section 215: and the side arms I 9 and 20. These side arms I9 and 20 diverge from.` the base section 25 of the slide bracket 24, so that said slide bracket is almost in the form of a V with a broad base, and the .clamping hooks 2| and 22 at the outer ends of said arms, respectively, are U-shaped with substantially rectangular turns except for a slight flare for straddling conformably the usual square projecting lip D of the shoe sole.

For securing the slide bracket 24 in the base plate I in adjusted position and to guide said bracket in its adjusting movement along said plate, the crosshead section I2 of said plate has an elongated slot 21 extending therealong and the slide bracket in its base section 25 carries a fastening member 28 shown in the form of a screw passing therethrough and through the slot. This screw 23, shown in the form of a machine screw or stud with a flat head 29, extends upwardly and is threaded into the base section 25 of the slide bracket 24. The longitudinal sides of the slot 27 may be provided with bevels 3G corresponding to the taper on the screw head 29 to permitV said head to lie flush with the bottom surface of the base plate It. If desired, instead of a machine screw 28, a bolt may be provided with a nut on top or bottom. In that case, the slot 21 may simply have parallel longitudinal sides.

The slide bracket 24 is not only adjustably movable along the crosshead plate section I2 according to the width of the shoe to which the device is to be attached, but is also rotatably adjustable along the axis of the fastening member 28 according to the shape of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 4.

The hook I 'I is adapted to engage the inner side section of the shoe sole near its shank (i. e. the narrow part of the sole beneath the instep) and the hook I8 is adapted to engage the inner side section of the shoe sole near the toe, these two inner side sections in theconventional shoe being in a line extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. Consequently, the two clamping arms I5 and IB carrying these hooks II and I8 are substantially of the same length and of the same inclination with respect to the crosshead section I2 of the base plate I0 to align these hooks in a direction substantially parallel to the side of the stem sec,- tion II of the base plate It. The hooks I'I and I8 are inclined along their bases or outer edges with respect to each other to conform with the contour of the side sections of the shoe sole where they catchably engage.

The hook 2| is adapted to engage the outer side section of the shoe sole near the shank and the hook 22 is adapted to engage the outer side section of the shoe sole near the toe, and these hooks are inclined along their bases or outer edges with respect to each other to conform with the contour of the side sections of the shoe sole Where they catchably engage. Since the two sides of the sole of a conventional shoe are not symmetrical, the two outer side sections of the sole engaged by the hooks 2| and 22 are aligned in a direction inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. Therefore, the two clamping arms I9 and 20 carrying these hooks 2| `and 22 are of different length, the arm I9 being the longer one, to conform generally with the contour of the outer side of the shoe sole. The rotatable adjustability of these clamping arms I9 and 20 accommodates for variations in this sole contour in different shoes.

' The xed location of the clamping arms I5 and I6 and the hooks I'I Yand I8 thereon, withY respect,

to the base plate Il), and the alignment of these hooks parallel to the side of the stem section II of the base plate I0 as described, will assure the location of the major length of the stem plate section centrally beneath the shoe in floor mounted position of the gure support device, as shown in Fig. 2. This stem plate section II is substantially rectangularl and is narrower than the base section of the shoe, so that it will be almost concealed by the shoe in floor mounted position, except for its outer end section 35 which projects a short distance beyond the neel of the shoe suicient to expose the hole I3 therein in accessible position for floor fastening.

The crosshead section I2 of the base plate is long enough so that its outer end sections 3 project a short distance beyond the sides of the shoe suflicient to expose the holes I3 therein in accessible position for floor fastening.

Figs. 2, 4 and 5 show a support device for the right shoe of the manikin. Fig. 3 shows a support device which is similar except that it is reversed in construction for use in connection with the left shoe of the inanikin. However, due t0 the adjustable mounting of the bracket 24, the same support device may be employed for either shoe.

In the application of the support devices of the present invention, the figure to be placed on display, as for example the manikin, is dressed with shoes and the support devices attached thereto. The attachment is eieoted on each shoe by placing the appropriate right hand or left hand device underneath said shoe with the xed clamping hooks I1 and I8 straddling and gripping the projecting lip D of the shoe sole on its inner side as shown in Fig. 2. The bracket 24 with its fastening screw 28 loose is then slid along the stem section II of the base plate IB and rotated about the axis of said screw to cause the clamping hooks 2I and 22 on said bracket to straddle and grip the projecting lip of the shoe sole on its outer side as shown in Fig. 2. After the screw 28 is tightened to hold the bracket 24 in adjusted position, the manikin is set in the desired position and pose and the support devices secured to the oor by the screws I4 through the holes I3 in the base plate I0. If desired, nails may be employed instead of the screws I5.

As shown in Fig. 2, the support devices will be almost inconspicuous. Only the ends 35 of the crosshead section I2 of each base plate I Il will show, the projecting end 35 of the stem section of said base plate being behind the shoe and being almost concealed thereby. If desired, these projecting end sections 35 and 36 of the base plate I0 may be concealed easily by a floor covering.

It should be noted in connection with the devices shown in Figs. 1 to 5, that these can be simply and inexpensively constructed from sheet metal by cutting and stamping or bending operations.

Although the figure support devices of the present invention are particularly designed to be attached to iigures fitted with shoes, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, they may be applied to the feet of a gure or manikin not so fitted. In that case, the clamping hooks will have to be shaped accordingly to engage the sides of the foot. Therefore, in the following claims, by foot is intended to cover not only the terminal part of a leg when tted with a shoe, but also when not so tted.

Modications of the embodiments shown With-n in the scope of the appended claims will readily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, While the clamping hooks are shown in pairs, two xed and two adjustable, it is feasible to have three of the hooks fixed and one adjustable, and one or more of the xed hooks may be pivotally mounted so as readily to adapt themselves to the contour of the foot or shoe sole.

What is claimed is:

1. A support device for a display figure having lower portions simulating human legs and feet and fitted with shoes, comprising a base plate adapted to extend along the underside of a shoe, a pair of clamping hooks rigid with said base plate and adapted to straddle the projecting lip of the sole of the shoe on one side thereof, a second pair of clamping hooks secured together as a unit and adapted to straddle the projecting lip of the shoe on the opposite side thereof, said base plate having an elongated slot extending in a direction transverse to a line joining the clamping hooks of said first pair, and a member for fastening said clamping hook unit and passing through said slot to permit said unit to slide adjustably along said base plate towards and away from said rst pair of clamping hooks and to rotate adjustably about the axis of said fastening member, to accommodate the support device to shoes of Varying size and shape.

2. A support device for a display gure having lower portions simulating human legs and feet, comprising a base plate in the form of a T having a substantially oblong stem section adapted in operative position of the device to extend along the bottom of the foot and to project at its outer end beyond the heel of the foot, and a crosshead section adapted to extend at opposite ends beyond the sides of the foot, the projectable ends of said base plate sections being provided with holes to receive floor fastening means, a pair of clamping arms integral with and extending from said crosshead plate section, said clamping arms terminating in respective hooks adapted to catch on to the sole part of the foot on one side thereof, a second pair of clamping arms secured together as a unit and extending from said crosshead plate section, said latter arms terminating in respective hooks adapted to catch on to the sole part of the foot on the opposite side thereof, and an elongated slot and screw connection between said second pair of clamping arms and said crosshead plate section permitting said second pair of clamping arms to be adjusted along said crosshead plate section and about the axis of the screw.

3. A support device for a display figure having lower portions simultating human legs and feet and tted with shoes, comprising a base plate adapted to extend along the underside of a shoe, at least one clamping hook rigid with said base plate and adapted to engage over the edge of the sole of the shoe on one side thereof, a V-shape member having a hook on the end of each leg, the base plate having a transverse slot therein, and a screw having its shank in the slot and engaging the bottom of the V-shape member and having its head bearing on the bottom of the base plate, the V-shape member being disposed with its arms directed toward the opposite edge of the sole, whereby the V-shape member is bodily adjustable in the slot and is rotatably adjustable on the screw as an axis and the hooks on the ends of its arms cone be cause to engage over the opposite edge of the sole.

4. A support device as defined in claim 3 in which the arms of the V-shape member are of unequal length.

5. A supporting device for a display figure having lower portions simulating human legs and feet, comprising a base plate securable to a supporting surface and including a portion adapted to receive the sole of a foot of a ligure, said portion having a, transversely extending slot therein, a clamping hook integral with one side of the plate and adapted to engage over the edge of a shoe sole on the foot on its side, a V-shape member having a hook on the end of each leg adapted to engage over said sole `on the other slide, and an adjustment screw depending from the V-shape member and engaging in the slot and adapted to secure the V-shape member in adjusted position along the slot, said member being free for rotative adjustment on said screw.

ERICH BLOCH.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 900,448 Taliaferro Oct. 6, 1908 1,752,288 Boye Apr. l, 1930 2,099,652 Janssen Nov. 16, 1937 2,430,412 Robinson Nov. 4, 1947 2,586,665 Konikoif Feb. 19, 1952 

